Elastic band-shaped base, specially track-bed matting

ABSTRACT

Elastic band-shaped base ( 1 ) made of rubber or of a material similar to rubber for insulating and absorbing vibrations and impact sound, specially track-bed matting, wherein the base is fitted with spaced tubes ( 2, 3 ) running parallel to the ground side ( 4 ) of the base on at least two planes (I, II). The tubes have a semicircular, semi-oval, or semi-ellipsoidal cross section. The invention is characterized in that two planes (I, II) are arranged at a distance (A) in relation to each other, irrespective of the total number of the planes of tubes, forming a continuous intermediate covering ( 5 ) running parallel to the ground side ( 4 ) of the base ( 1 ), in such a way that the smoothed down sides of the tubes ( 2, 3 ) all face the intermediate covering ( 5 ). The inventive design provides for advantageous construction parameters of the elastic base.

The invention relates to an elastic band-shaped base made of rubber or amaterial similar to rubber for insulating and absorbing vibrations andimpact sound, in particular to a track-bed matting, whereby the base isequipped with spaced tubes having a substantially semicircular,semi-oval or semi-elliposoidal cross section, whereby a portion of thetubes comprises a first plane and a second plane arranged with a spacingrelative to each other, forming a continuous intermediate coveringextending parallel with the ground side of the base, the tubes of saidtwo planes being arranged displaced against one another with a spacing,forming a substantially symmetric lattice structure, whereby the spacingof the displacement amounts to about half of the spacing from the centerof one tube to the center of the other tube within one plane. Such abase is known from laid-open document DE-A 3,935,354 (FIG. 4).

The elastic bases according to the prior art outlined above exhibit alinear behavior only in relatively short part areas (up to about 4 mmdeformation).

Now, the problem of the invention is to provide an elastic base whichexhibits a linear behavior also in the presence of large deformations(up to about 8 mm) for all sorts of different areas of application;however, in particular for application as a track-bed matting.

This problem is solved according to the characterizing part in that

all flattened sides of the tubes of the first and second planes face theintermediate covering; and that

another portion of tubes comprises a third plane arranged spaced fromthe next-disposed plane, forming a continuous intermediate coveringextending parallel with the ground side of the base, whereby the tubesof the third plane each are disposed directly above the tubes of thenext-disposed second plane.

The invention is explained in the following with the help of anexemplified embodiment and by reference to schematic drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows the cross section of an elastic base, with two planes oftubes.

FIG. 2 shows the cross section of an elastic base as defined by theinvention, with three planes of tubes.

FIG. 3 shows the force-path behavior of leastic bases according to theprior art; and

FIG. 4 shows the force-path behavior of an elastic base according toFIG. 1.

According to FIG. 1, the elastic base 1 with a total height H has twoplanes I, II of tubes 2, 3 extending parallel with ground side 4,whereby all tubes have a substantially semicircular cross sectionalshape with height G and half-width spacing D. Said two planes arearranged with a spacing A relative to each other, forming a continuousintermediate covering 5 extending parallel with ground side 4, in such away that the flattened sides of tubes 2, 3 all face the intermediatecovering 5. Furthermore, the two planes are arranged displaced againsteach other with a spacing C, forming a substantially symmetric latticestructure (dashed lines). Within a plane, the tubes 2, 3 have a smallestperipheral spacing B at a spacing E from one center of a tube to anothercenter of a tube.

Useful parameters of the structure are specified in the following, suchparameters relating to the unloaded condition.

A 1 to 10 mm, in particular 2 to 4 mm

B (1 to 2.5) A

C 0.5 E or 0.5 B+D

D (1.5 to 2) B

E 2 D+B

G (0.5 to 1.5) D,in particular G≈D

H 10 to 50 mm, in particular 20 to 30 mm.

According to FIG. 2, the elastic base 1′ with a total height H has threeplanes I, II, III of tubes 2, 3, 6, 7, which extend parallel with groundside 4, whereby reference is made to the description of FIG. 1 withrespect to the principle of the structure of planes I, II. Theadditionally installed third plane III of tubes 6, 7 is arranged with aspacing A′ relative to the next-disposed plane II, forming a continuousintermediate covering 8 expending parallel with ground side 4, wherebythe spacings A, A′ between the individual planes are about equal. Thetubes 6, 7 of the third plane III each are arranged directly above thetubes 3 of the next-disposed plane II. The smallest peripheral spacingB′ between two tubes 2, 3 within the third plane III is about equal tothe spacing B between two tunes 2, 3 within the two other planes I, II.Furthermore, the tubes 6, 7 within the third plane III are arranged withan alternating structure, namely in such a way that the flattened sideof the tubes alternately point upwardly and downwardly. With respect tostructure parameters G and D of tubes 6, 7, the same applies as to tubes2, 3.

Now, FIGS. 3 and 4 show the force-path behavior of different elasticbases, whereby the following diagram data are applicable:

Ordinate: Force F [KN]

Abscissa: Path S [mm]

Curve a: Elastic base with only one plane of tubes with a circular crosssection.

Curve b: Elastic base with two planes of tubes with a circular crosssection and displaced against each other (lattice structure).

Curve c: Elastic base as a massive body consisting of polyurethane foam.

Curve d: Elastic base according to FIG. 1.

The comparison of curve d with curves a, b and c shows that a basehaving the structural principle of planes I and II according to FIG. 1,which also is realized in the base of the invention according to FIG. 2,offers the desired linear behavior up to a deformation of about 8 mm(operating range).

What is claimed is:
 1. A track bed matting comprising an elasticband-shaped base (1, 1′) made of rubber or rubber-like material forinsulating and absorbing vibrations and impact sound, wherein thematting is equipped with tubes (2, 3, 6, 7) arranged with spacingsbetween each other and having a substantially semicircular, semi-oval orsemi-ellipsoidal cross section, whereby a portion of the tubes (2, 3)comprises a first plane (I) and a second plane (II) arranged with aspacing A relative to each other, forming a continuous intermediatecovering (5) extending parallel with the ground side (4) of the matting(1, 1′), the tubes (2, 3) of said two planes (I, II) being arrangeddisplaced against one another with a spacing C, forming a substantiallysymmetric lattice structure, whereby the spacing C of the displacementamounts to about half of the spacing E from the center of one tube tothe center of the other tube within one plane (I, II); wherein allflattened sides of the tubes (2, 3) of the first plane (I) and thesecond plane (II) face the intermediate covering (5); and that anotherportion of the tubes (6, 7) comprises a third plane (III) arranged in aspace A′ from the next-disposed second plane (II), forming a continuousintermediate covering (8), extending parallel with the ground side (4)of the base (1′), whereby the tubes (6, 7) of the third plane (III) eachare disposed directly above the tubes (3) of the next-disposed secondplane (II).
 2. The track bed matting according to claim 1, wherein thespacing A′ of the intermediate covering (8) between the third plane(III) and the second plane (II) is approximately equal to the spacing Aof the intermediate covering (5) between the first plane (I) and thesecond plane (II).
 3. The track bed matting according to claim 1,wherein the spacing B′ between two tubes (6,7) within the third pane(III) is about equal to the spacing B between two tubes (2,3) within thetwo other planes (I, II).
 4. The track bed matting according to claimwherein the tubes (6, 7) within the third plane (III) are arranged withan alternating structure, in a way such that the flattened sides of thetubes alternately point upwards and downwards.
 5. The track bed mattingaccording to claim 1, wherein the spacing A, A′ between the planes (I,II, III) amounts to 1 to 10 mm, in particular to 2 to 4 mm.
 6. The trackbed matting according to claim 1, wherein the smallest peripheralspacing B, B′ between two tubes (2, 3, 6, 7) within a plane (I, II, III)is approximately equal to the spacing A, A′ of one plane to another. 7.The track bed matting according to claim 1, wherein the smallestperipheral spacing B, B′ between two tubes (2, 3, 6, 7) within a plane(I, II, III) is grater than the spacing A, A′ of one plane to another,namely up to about 2.5 times the spacing A, A′ between the planes (I,II, III).
 8. The track bed matting according to claim 1, wherein thehalf-width spacing D of a tube (2, 3, 6, 7) is greater than the spacingB, B′ between two tubes within a plane (I, II, III), whereby the spacingD is preferably 1.5 to 2 times the spacing B, B′.
 9. The track bedmatting according to claim 1, wherein the height G of a tube (2, 3, 6,7) is 0.5 to 1.5 times the half-width spacing D of a tube.
 10. The trackbed matting according to claim 9, wherein the height G of a tube (2, 3,6, 7) is about equal to the half-width spacing D of a tube.
 11. Thetrack bed matting according to claim 1, wherein the total height H ofthe matting (1, 1′) amounts to 10 to 50 mm, in particular to 20 to 30mm.